Relevant
He was born to a teenage mother in a dumpy, rural, bogan town. He lived in relative obscurity until about the age of 30, working a blue collar job. But the legacy of his life makes him one of (if not) the most popular figure of all time.
Arguably, more books have been written about him, more paintings painted of him, more songs have been sung about him than any other figure in the history of the world. He is of course Jesus, the Christ.
He’s way up there in pop culture. He routinely shows up in the Simpsons, and South Park. He’s been the cover story of TIME Magazine and of Popular Mechanics. T-shirts – saying Jesus is my homeboy – are worn by celebrities. He’s also a very popular tattoo.
And the life and death of Jesus has been portrayed in film, theatre, and musicals.
No serious scholar denies that he lived and was condemned as a criminal. And his life and teachings reverberate today.
Jesus is relevant!
But the question really is – how is Jesus relevant to you?
In the eyewitness account known as the Gospel of John, we read these incredible words:
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36)
You can praise Jesus, disagree with him, quote him, glorify him, vilify him, trust him or reject him.
But what you cannot really do is … ignore him. Your eternity hangs or falls on how relevant Jesus is to you!
Richard Chin is the National Director of AFES.